Shinobi Wars
by lightnwolf101
Summary: AU. Rather than declare vengeance on Konoha, Sasuke has turned his back on the shinobi world after learning about Itachi. Danzo has risen to power as the emperor of a united shinobi nation while a rebellion has risen to fight back. Inspired by Star Wars. Divergence from canon universe.
1. Prologue

**So... it's been awhile since I have posted anything and it's been awhile since I have gotten an idea to write down. Ever since I have gotten into Naruto and then Star Wars, I kinda realized how Star Wars could be applied to Naruto. The idea had been bothering me for months to the point that I was unable to resist writing it down.**

 **The story is completely inspired by Star Wars, so you will find parallels between this story and Star Wars itself. This story is also a divergence from the canon universe of Naruto with some details changed a bit to fit the story.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Star Wars at all.**

* * *

Prologue

After learning the truth about Itachi and the Uchiha Massacre, Sasuke renounced the ways of the shinobi, having lost faith in the world itself. Since Sasuke did not declare vengeance on Konoha as expected and, therefore, did not go to the Five Kage Summit, Danzo has risen to power as Hokage.

The Fourth Shinobi World War has ended and the Empire has risen with Danzo as emperor, taking away the freedom of its citizens. In response, a rebellion has risen, fighting to restore what was stolen.

The rebellion has stolen plans from the Empire, learning about the imminent completion of the construction of a destructive weapon. Now, a group of rebels race to deliver the plans to Kakashi Hatake so that the rebellion can save the people of the shinobi world and give back their freedom…


	2. Chapter 1

**Edit: I forgot to mention that the pairing in this story is Sasuke/Sakura. However, there will only be hints of it in the first half. It will become more prominent in the second half.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Star Wars at all.**

* * *

Chapter 1

A group of shinobi were racing through the trees as another group was giving chase. Every now and then, the rebels would throw kunai behind them, hoping to slow their pursuers down. However, that was not to be as the enemy would throw back twice the amount of kunai at the group, who were barely able to avoid them.

After several minutes, it became obvious that the pursuers would eventually catch them. One of the rebels shouted, "Split up, split up!"

The rebel group split, but that did not deter the enemy as they also split, pursuing the separate groups. The leader of one of the groups realized that nothing would stop the Empire soldiers. She quickly pulled one of the shinobi aside as she ordered the others to keep going to lead the soldiers away. After finding a hiding spot, she quickly pulled out a scroll and handed it to the shinobi.

"Hinata, you have to deliver the plans to Hatake. You're the only one who knows where he is."

"B-but, Temari-san….."

"I'll be fine! We can't let those bastards get the plans!"

"T-temari-san, please! T-they'll catch you! T-they'll, they'll…."

"Hinata, I don't care! This is an order! Go!"

Hinata Hyuga hesitated before nodding. She then took the scroll and ran. Temari shuddered out a sigh of relief. Screams of pain were heard and she quickly turned around, remembering that there were others in danger. She rushed out into the trees to help her comrades. However, she found them in a clearing, either dead or writhing in pain, with Empire soldiers standing over them. She stood in shock, not noticing a flash of black and gray. Temari felt a hand grabbing her and turned to see the plain white mask, only marked by a code on the forehead, of an Empire soldier, dressed in the usual black with the gray flak jacket. Before she could react, the soldier put chakra-suppressing cuffs on her. Realizing the situation, Temari quickly struggled to get rid of the cuffs, but the soldier only tightened his hold on her. Suddenly, there was a flare of chakra and Temari stopped. She recognized the chakra and the chill it gave her. She knew who was coming.

A dark figure jumped from the trees and landed into the clearing, followed by two other soldiers. The tall, imposing figure had on an armor with several protective metal plates tied to each other with a sword strapped to its back. Underneath the armor, there is a black form-fitting suit that covered from head to toe. Covering the figure's face was a white demonic-looking mask.

The figure walked with a regal air towards the defeated rebels and inspected them. Noticing that some were still alive, it lifted one up by the neck. It spoke with a dark, deep voice, "Where are the plans?!"

"I-I don't k-k-know….." The rebel struggled to speak as the menacing figure slowly squeezed his throat.

"You are lying! I can sense it! Speak! Where are the plans?!"

"N-no…."

"Hn, pity."

The figure crushed the rebel's neck. The crack resounded throughout the forest. Temari flinched as the figure dropped the body. A soldier stepped forward.

"Akuma-sama, we searched both groups and found nothing, but we have a prisoner."

Akuma turned quickly towards Temari and stalked towards her. Temari stared defiantly at him, but deep down she felt her heart thundering. She knew what the Emperor's right hand was capable of. Akuma stopped a few inches from her and stared hard at her.

"Where are the plans?!" Akuma snarled.

"I don't know what you're talking about. We were simply passing through the forest when your troops attacked us."

"Do not lie to me! People know that you are one of the rebels! The plans were stolen only a few days ago and we find a rebel group in a restricted part of this forest! Now tell me, where are the plans?!"

"I'm telling you. I don't know what you're talking about."

Akuma clenched her fist and shook in anger. He quickly calmed as he continued to stare at Temari. A moment passed before he said, "You gave it to one of the rebels…."

Temari widened her eyes. How did she come to that conclusion so quickly? It was as if Akuma knew how they thought…

Akuma saw her reaction and got the confirmation she needed. She turned towards a troop, "Spread out! Search the forest and find the rebel! I want them alive! You!" He turned towards a soldier, "Go back and tell General Fu to send out more troops to search the entire country!" The soldier nodded and flickered away. Akuma looked to the soldiers standing over the rebels, "Take any who are alive! We will interrogate them!"

The soldiers nodded and did as they were told. As one group ran into the forest to search for the rebel, another collected the remaining rebels who were alive. Temari sagged slightly as she watched. They were caught, but at least Hinata was still ahead of them. Temari could only pray that she wouldn't be caught either. Now, all she and the other rebels could do is to ensure the safety of the others by not saying anything…

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha carried the haul of logs towards his cabin. He grunted as he dropped his load at the front. He stretched his back as he thought of the past.

He was only sixteen years old when he turned his back on the world. Now, he is twenty-one years of age. He remembered the shock and grief that came with the truth of Itachi. He remembered the anger that came after. Was his brother just a pawn in this world? All in the name of peace?

And so, Sasuke renounced the ways of the shinobi. However, that angered Madara Uchiha, who rescued him and expected him to declare revenge on Konoha. A huge fight ensued and Sasuke was barely able to escape with the help of his team.

Now, he lived in a cabin with his team, who refused to leave even when he tried to disband them, in the middle of a forest and a few miles away from a village where they would get their supplies. Sasuke thought further back to his former teammates, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. He wondered briefly what they were doing right now, especially with the Empire in power now….

Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. Sasuke quickly went on alert. He looked towards where the sound came from and took out a kunai. He walked slowly towards the bushes. He had to ensure that their location wasn't compromised…

A woman rushed out and stopped, taking a moment to breathe. It was obvious that she had been running for some time now. Realizing that she was not alone, she looked up and saw Sasuke, who froze in shock. Recognizing him, she said, "S-Sas….."

And then the woman dropped down, fainting. Sasuke managed to shake off his surprise and immediately went to the woman. He turned her over to take a closer look at her. He widened his eyes when he saw her face, recognizing his former classmate, Hinata Hyuga.

* * *

 **If anyone has noticed how I go back and forth with him and her on Akuma, the reason why I did that is because it is unknown whether Akuma is a male or female at this point. No one in this story knows if Akuma is a girl or boy. I just want to clarify on that.**

 **Akuma mean devil in Japanese, by the way.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Star Wars at all.**

* * *

Chapter 2

Sasuke remained frozen for several minutes. As he continued staring at the downed Hinata, Juugo came out of the cabin, curious with why Sasuke was taking so long. When he saw Sasuke and Hinata, he immediately rushed to check on Hinata. After confirming that she was alive, Juugo gently picked her up and took her to the cabin. During all this, Sasuke was still frozen in shock.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke shook away his shock and turned to see Juugo, finally noticing Hinata in his teammate's arms. Upon seeing them, he reverted back to his usual expressionless façade.

"Hn." That was all Sasuke said as he got up and followed Juugo inside. Karin was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Suigetsu was in the living room, lazing on the couch. They heard Sasuke and Juugo come in and turned. They saw Hinata and immediately left what they were doing to take a closer look.

"SAAASUKE-KUN! WHO IS THIS GIRL?!" Karen screeched, not liking that there was another girl in the cabin.

"Ugh, I thought we were supposed to stay hidden. At this rate, you're going to give away our position, you banshee," Suigetsu remarked.

Karin punched his head in response and Suigetsu's head splatter across the wall in water. Sasuke inwardly sighed. He still questioned why he allowed the team to follow them after he tried to disband them. During the commotion, Juugo put Hinata on the couch. He turned to Sasuke, having noticed his reaction to their unexpected visitor.

"Sasuke, do you know her?" Juugo questioned. Karin and Suigetsu stopped arguing and looked at Sasuke, curious.

"She was my classmate back in Konoha," Sasuke replied reluctantly. He didn't like to talk about his old life back in Konoha.

"Any idea on why she's here? Shinobi hardly pass through here," Suigetsu said as he peered at Hinata.

Sasuke shrugged. He refused to even look at Hinata after the reaction he had at her sudden appearance. He didn't want any reminders of Konoha.

"What should we do with her?" Juugo said. They all looked at Sasuke, waiting for his command. Sasuke thought about it. As said before, he didn't want any reminders of Konoha. Plus, their location was potentially compromised. If they sent her away while she was still unconscious, she would most likely not remember anything when she woke up, especially Sasuke himself.

"Karin, Juugo, take her to the village nearby. The woman at the inn will take her in," Sasuke commanded. The old lady running the inn at the village was kind and more than willing to help those in need.

Juugo and Karin nodded. Juugo picked up Hinata from the couch and went out with Karin out the door. Sasuke relaxed slightly. Good, she was gone now. He went into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner as Suigetsu went back to lying on the couch.

As he chopped the tomatoes, Sasuke began contemplating. He remembered when he tried to disband the team and how they refused to leave. He had wondered why he even allowed them to follow him as he didn't care that much about them. Thinking back now, Sasuke realized that it was because they somewhat reminded him of Team 7, especially Karin and Suigetsu. Their interactions reminded him of Sakura and Naruto. How hypocritical of Sasuke. He didn't want any reminders of his life back in Konoha, but there he was, being reminded of his old team there. Sasuke began wondering whether Naruto was still out trying to get him back. He wondered if Sakura was still loved him….

Sasuke immediately shook his thoughts and continued to prepare dinner.

The next day, Sasuke got up and went to do his daily chores. As he was working, Karin came to him with a list in hand.

"SASUKE-KUNNN, WE NEED SUPPLIES. CAN YOU GO TO THE VILLAGE AND GET THEM? PLEAASSE," Karin practically screamed as she latched onto his arm. Sasuke looked at her disgust. She always looked for an excuse to hold onto his arm. He grunted and took the list. He wanted to get away from her.

When Sasuke arrived at the village, he went about buying what was on the list. As he walked through the market, he noticed two shinobi talking to a vendor. He recognized the ANBU garb from Konoha. However, he noticed something strikingly different. The masks that these ANBU wore were the same with the only difference being the codes on the forehead of the masks. Not to mention, they both wore a symbol that Sasuke had saw only once in his life. One that stuck to his mind. It was the symbol of the Empire.

 _Empire soldiers? What are they doing here?_ Sasuke thought as he tried to browse through the groceries discreetly. _They must be looking for something or someone. Shinobi don't usually come to this village and the Empire don't care much about civilians…._

Sasuke widened his eyes. They must be looking for Hinata. That would explain why Hinata looked so rushed when she ran into his cabin. But why would they want her?

Sasuke decided there and then that he needed to get out. He gathered the supplies he got and snuck past the soldiers, who were too busy talking to the vendor. As he neared the exit of the village, he felt that someone was following him. It could be another Empire soldier. Sasuke veered off into the forest that resided next to the village. He had to deal with his stalker away from prying eyes.

When he arrived at a deeper part of the forest, he stopped, waiting for the person to approach closer. When the distance was close enough, he dropped the supplies and grabbed a kunai from his pouch. He grabbed the stalker and slammed them into a tree. The person was wearing a hooded cloak. Sasuke grabbed the hood and ripped it off. As he looked at them, he widened his eyes.

"S-Sasuke-kun…" Hinata stammered as she looked at Sasuke fearfully.

* * *

"Akuma-sama, most of the rebels have died from their wounds during interrogation," a soldier reported.

"That is a pity. How many are left?"

"Only one. The Fifth Kazekage's sister."

"Did you get any information on the plans?"

"Yes," General Fu Yamanaka replied for the soldier as he entered the room. "Few of the rebels have said that Hinata Hyuga have the plans. I sent out word about it to the soldiers conducting the search."

"Good," Akuma responded.

"What shall we do with the prisoner then?"

"We must know the location of the rebel headquarters. This is an opportunity that should not be wasted."

"Very well. I will send in the best interrogators."

"Good. I will supervise the interrogation. However, if she refuses to say anything…" Akuma said as he turned to leave the room.

"Then I believe that we should test the new weapon," Akuma finished.

* * *

Sasuke stared at Hinata as she struggled to get out of his grip. What did she want now? Sasuke thought.

"S-Sasuke-kun, please h-hear me out," Hinata begged.

"Hn." Sasuke complied and let her go. He crossed his arms and said, "What do you want?"

"I-I need your h-help." She told him about the plans that she and the other rebels stole and how she managed to get away with the plans. Knowing the brutal methods of the Empire, the others had most likely told them what they knew and now the Empire were looking for her.

"I-I can't handle the soldiers o-on my o-own. I n-need you to e-escort me to t-the rebels," Hinata said as she finished her tale.

Sasuke remained silent. As much as he wanted to say no, he was held back by the thought of Itachi. His brother would have wanted to do what was right. He would have done anything to achieve peace. However, Sasuke reminded himself how that had led to his brother's death. He also reminded himself how he was trying to separate himself from the shinobi world. He didn't want anything to do with it. Now, it seemed as if it was trying to catch up to him.

He turned away from Hinata, "No. I won't help you."

"B-but Sasuke-kun!"

"Stop!" Sasuke turned to glare at her, his Sharingan on. Hinata stopped and quivered in fear. Sasuke sighed and turned away, "I want nothing to do with this war." He went to pick up his supplies as Hinata slumped dejectedly.

Sasuke started to walk away. However, he stopped and said, "If I were you, I would wait here until nighttime." He then continued walking.

As he walked back to his cabin, Sasuke thought about his decision. Was it the right choice? Itachi would have wanted him to join. However, he truly didn't want anything to do with the war.

The smell of burning wood hit Sasuke and he looked up, seeing a huge cloud of smoke. He widened his eyes. The smoke was coming from his cabin. He dropped his supplies and began to run. When he arrived, Sasuke saw that the cabin was burning. Along with it, there were three bodies burning, the bodies of Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo. Sasuke dropped to his knees. The Empire soldiers must have tracked Hinata here…

Sasuke clenched his fists. It seemed as if the shinobi world had already caught up to him and it looked like it was never going away. It also seemed like fate was making the decision for him. Sasuke sighed and stood up. He walked back into the forest. He took the stash containing weapons hidden in the forest grounds. Among the weapons he took was the Kusanagi. After getting all that he needed, he turned and walked away from the burning cabin, ready to meet his destiny.


	4. Chapter 3

**Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Star Wars at all.**

* * *

Chapter 3

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I-I didn't mean to cause this much t-trouble," Hinata apologized to Sasuke.

"Hn," was all Sasuke said as he packed up his belongings.

He had returned to Hinata earlier, who was still in the forest that he had left her in. After learning what had happened to his cabin, Hinata apologized again and again, feeling guilty for bringing trouble with her. Sasuke ignored her for the most part. Together, they waited until nightfall. Now, nightfall had come and they were getting ready to leave. They quietly gathered their things and promptly left the forest with Hinata leading.

The journey itself was rather uneventful. Sasuke was surprised that they did not encounter any Empire soldiers. It must have been due to them concentrating their search more on the villages. In the end, it didn't matter to Sasuke. As long as there was no trouble, he could care any less.

As the pair jumped through the trees, Sasuke felt dread forming within him as they got closer to the rebel camp. He realized that he would see Kakashi for the first time in years. What was going to happen? Sasuke expected disappointment, but considering how long it has been, he didn't know what to expect. Thinking about Kakashi made Sasuke further realize that there was the possibility of meeting Naruto and Sakura. This made the dread in Sasuke increase even more. It wouldn't be surprising if they were both involved with the rebels.

"S-Sasuke-kun…."

Sasuke shook off his thoughts and looked at Hinata, who was looking back at him. "W-we're almost t-there," she said.

"Hn."

All was silent once more and the two continued their travels. It was only several minutes later that Hinata had them stop in front the side of a cliff. Sasuke looked around, confused. He looked at Hinata and saw that she was walking towards the wall of the cliff. She stopped and tapped the wall with her finger. Sasuke noticed that there was a pattern to the tapping. It was like a code.

Suddenly, an opening formed in the wall, showing a tunnel. Sasuke raised his eyebrows slightly. Hinata stepped into the opening and Sasuke followed. As they walked in the tunnel, Sasuke looked at Hinata with questioning eyes. Hinata blushed.

"T-the Empire soldiers are very good a-at detecting chakra. W-we had to find a way to hide without using any g-genjutsu," she explained.

Sasuke nodded. He wouldn't admit it, but he was impressed with how the rebels hid themselves. He would have to ask Kakashi about the mechanism of the wall. Maybe he could use it someday…

Finally, they were at the end of the tunnel. The tunnel opened into a vast cavern, which was filled with tents and shinobi. The shinobi were either talking to one another or resting in the tents. As Sasuke and Hinata walked through, the shinobi stopped their conversations while others came out of their tents to see the newcomers. They started whispering to one another.

"Hinata! She's back!"

"…But where are the others?'

"Is that…?"

"It can't be! Nobody has seen him in years!"

Hinata and Sasuke ignored the whispers and continued walking. Hinata led Sasuke to a huge tent at the end of the cavern. She lifted the flap and entered with Sasuke following her. They found Kakashi hunched over a table with his face in his hands. The pair stopped in front of him.

"K-Kakashi-san…"

Kakashi looked up and saw Hinata. His eye lit up and he stood up from the table.

"Hinata! You made it! I thought something happened to you…" Kakashi noticed the absence of her teammates.

"What happened to the others?"

"A-Akuma took them. T-Temari-san ordered me t-to run with the p-plans…"

Kakashi sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. He looked up and finally noticed Sasuke. His eye widened, "S-Sasuke…"

"I-I met Sasuke-kun w-when I was running away. H-he escorted me h-here," Hinata explained.

"I see…" There was silence in the tent. Kakashi sighed once more, "Hinata, give me the plans. And could you give Sasuke and me a moment to talk?"

"H-hai." Hinata dug into her pouch and fetched the plans. She handed them to Kakashi. She bowed and then left the tent.

Silence fell once more in the tent. Both men stared at each other, taking in each other's appearance. Sasuke noticed that Kakashi looked much older than the last time he saw his old sensei.

Kakashi broke the silence.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said.

"Hn."

"Where were you all these years? Why did you disappear?"

"Itachi…"

"Itachi? What does he have to do with this? Last I heard, you wanted your revenge."

Sasuke shut his eyes in pain, "Itachi….he was ordered to do it. He was ordered to kill the whole clan by Danzo…"

Kakashi widened his eye in shock. He straightened up and crossed his arms, "Explain."

And so Sasuke explained to Kakashi the truth behind the Uchiha massacre. The coup d'etat. How Itachi couldn't bear to kill him. The choice he made in the end. Sasuke also explained why he left.

When he finished, Kakashi's eye softened with sympathy, "Sasuke, I'm so sorry…"

Sasuke turned his head away from Kakashi, "Hn." He finally noticed that there were something missing.

He turned back to Kakashi and asked, "Where's Naruto and Sakura?"

Kakashi widened his eye once more. He gave a shuddering sigh as he shut his eye in pain. He replied in a tight voice, "We don't know where they are. They went missing a long time ago."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows slightly, "Explain."

Kakashi sighed and went to sit at the table. When he settled into his chair, he said to Sasuke, "You know about the Fourth Shinobi World War, right?"

Sasuke nodded. Kakashi continued, "A year before the war ended, the Empire rose. With the Empire came Akuma, Danzo's right hand. During that time, Naruto, Sai, and I were on our own mission to help end the war, but that apparently ended up being useless." Kakashi said the last sentence in a bitter tone.

"Akuma was the one who ended the war or that's what Danzo said. We were all relieved that the war ended and we thought that things couldn't get any worse. But Danzo began subjecting us to a dictatorship. He was breaking everyone apart. He would steal children away from families to be brainwashed into becoming soldiers. Anyone who opposed him disappeared. Or worse, they were publically executed by Akuma and the soldiers." Kakashi took a deep breath, closing his eye in pain.

"We couldn't stand for this, so we formed the rebellion. We were successful at first in fighting against the Empire, but Naruto didn't want any more bloodshed. He went behind our backs to fight Akuma. Neji and Sai went after him. Something happened though. Naruto and Sai came back with Neji's body. Naruto was shocked and wouldn't say anything, but Sai did. He told us everything. Akuma killed Neji when he was protecting Naruto during the battle. Naruto wouldn't talk to anyone at all after that. After several weeks, he left. All he left was a note saying that he needed to become even stronger. Ever since then, we've been waiting for him to come back. All we can do now is to hold on," Kakashi finished. He sagged into his chair, looking many years older than his age.

Sasuke processed what Kakashi told him. It was very uncharacteristic of Naruto to simply leave in times of trouble. It was there that Sasuke felt suspicious. Something must have happened when Naruto went to fight Akuma. He then noticed that Kakashi had forgotten to tell a certain detail.

"And Sakura? What happened to her?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi looked up at Sasuke, "During the war, many shinobi became missing in action. We couldn't find Sakura anywhere when the Empire rose. We could only assume that she…"

"I see," Sasuke said.

Both men fell silent. They were both contemplating. In Kakashi's case, he was wondering how things got so wrong and thought about how much he failed his students. He thought over and over again how he should have done things in the past. However, in the end, what's done was done and what was left for Kakashi was a completely broken Team 7.

As for Sasuke, his head was reeling from what he was told. Naruto had run away and Sakura was dead…

Sasuke began to think of their genin days when things were brighter. Those days were so much simpler. Memories flashed in his mind. He remembered Naruto's declarations of becoming Hokage and Sakura's cries of "Sasuke-kun".

He quickly stamped out these feelings. They didn't matter now. There were more important matters at hand. Sasuke looked up at Kakashi and said, "What is the Empire planning?"

* * *

Far away, in one of the Empire headquarters, there were three men in the conference room, discussing about the rebels.

"The rebels should have the plans by now. There's a possibility that they'll find a weakness in the weapon," Torune Aburame reported to Fu Yamanaka, who nodded with no expression on his face.

"We must be cautious then. The rebels will take any chance to destroy it."

"Whatever the rebels do will be useless. The weapon is unstoppable," boasted Katasuke, the lead scientist of the Science Ninja Weapons Team.

"You should not be so confident in this weapon you constructed," a dark voice cut in. The three men turned to see Akuma at the doorway.

"Akuma-sama, what shall we do about the rebels? Though unlikely, they could find a weakness in the weapon. They are also gaining sympathy in the villages," Torune said.

"The plans will be back in our hands. As for the villages, fear is the greatest motivator. They will not dare to do anything as long as we give them something to fear," Akuma said as he walked into the room.

"Then we use the weapon! This weapon is the ultimate power," Katasuke yelled. Akuma turned to him menacingly.

"I thought I said not to be so confident in this weapon. It pales in comparison to the power of ninjutsu."

"But this weapon will make traditional ninjutsu obsolete! So don't try to frighten me—" Katasuke was interrupted by a flare of chakra from Akuma. Torune and Fu looked at Akuma cautiously. Akuma hated disrespect above anything else and punished those who angered him.

"You are starting to sound like your predecessor, Katasuke."

Katasuke quivered in fear, remembering what happened to his mentor when he failed in his task and had the gall to badmouth Akuma. He bowed his head meekly to Akuma. The flare of chakra lessened. Torune and Fu relaxed slightly.

"Akuma-sama."

They all turned to see a soldier waiting at the doorway.

"The interrogators are ready."

"Good," Akuma said as he went to leave the room.

* * *

 **This took a while to write. I'm not exactly proud of this chapter, especially with the reunion between Sasuke and Kakashi...**

 **Btw, the last scene wasn't just inspired by the force choke scene from A New Hope. Some of it was inspired by a scene in the recent issue in the Darth Vader comics.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Sorry that this took a while. I felt that this story is going slow and I was stuck on how to keep it going. I kept this chapter short for the sake of pushing it along. It will pick up later one.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Stars Wars at all.**

* * *

Chapter 4

Temari sat in the cell, leaning against the wall. There were chains around her wrists and ankles, tying her to the wall. Everything in her body ached and all she wanted to do was close her eyes. But she refused to do that, afraid that she would never open them again. She winced when another shot of pain ran through her body. The interrogators did not hold back.

Suddenly, the door opened. Akuma walked in and stopped in front of her. She stared down at Temari. The Sand shinobi looked back with a defiant look. She then noticed that two soldiers had followed Akuma in with one carrying a metal briefcase. She watched as he set it down and opened it, giving her a full view of tools she had never seen before. She tried to hide her fear, but failed to.

"You will tell us the location of the rebel base," Akuma said as he stepped back and allowed the two interrogators approach Temari with torture devices.

* * *

"Spies within the Empire reported that there was a weapon being built. Apparently, this weapon can destroy an entire village single-handedly."

"Impossible," Sasuke said immediately.

"Actually, given how much technology has advanced, it is. And the Empire have all the resources," Kakashi replied. He took the scroll that had the plans and unfurled it. "We thought that maybe there was a weakness. I sent a team to retrieve the plans so we could try to find it."

"You risked that much just for some plans?"

"We were getting desperate, Sasuke. The Empire is getting stronger than ever and the weapon would solidify its power. It was a huge gamble, but we took it."

Kakashi studied the plans for a while and then walked to the entrance of the tent. He lifted the flap and called, "Hinata."

"H-hai."

"Get Shikamaru. He has to interpret the plans."

"Hai, Kakashi-san."

* * *

 _Later on..._

"So she resisted," Fu stated.

"Yes, it will take time before she gives in," Akuma replied as he looked out of the window in the conference room.

"What shall we do then, Akuma-sama?" Torune questioned.

Akuma turned to face the two generals, "As I said before, I believe it is time to test the weapon. Have it prepared."

"As you wish."


	6. Chapter 5

**Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Stars Wars at all.**

 **Update (5/4/17): I added a few details to this chapter. I felt like I did not really put in enough on the characters' feelings, so I added more details from the scene where Akuma feels Kakashi reaching out to him/her to the very end of this chapter. It may not be very noticeable though. Hope you like the added details.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Temari was surrounded by soldiers, who escorted her to the control room where Akuma was waiting for her. When they arrived at the room, Akuma had her back turned towards them and was looking out at a window, overseeing the wide expanse surrounding the facility.

Akuma turned as they entered. "So nice of you to join us, _Temari-san_ ," he greeted sarcastically.

"Akuma, I should have known that you sent for me. It seems you can't get enough of me," Temari replied defiantly.

"Charming as ever. You should count yourself lucky as I have kept you alive for this long."

"Oh, I'm _so_ sorry to cause you so much trouble."

Not bothered by Temari's biting remark, Akuma continued, "I should thank you, Temari-san. Your foolish defiance has opened an opportunity for us. After all, I believe the time has come to test our weapon."

Temari's eyes widened when she realized what Akuma was implying. The rebellious front that she put up immediately slipped away when she stuttered out, "N-no, you can't mean…"

"Oh, but I do. In fact…"

Akuma's head turned towards a large monitor screen showing Sunagakure. "We've already locked your beloved village as the target."

Temari tried hard not to let the fear show as Akuma continued, "You have tried our patience for far too long. If you tell us where the rebels are, then maybe I will reconsider."

Temari struggled not to give in, but this was her home village that was being threatened. So many people's lives were on the line….

"Now what would your brother say if you refused?" Akuma mockingly asked.

She squeezed her eyes shut as she spoke through her teeth, "They're in a base east of Takigakure."

"See, that was not difficult." However, Akuma turned to the technicians operating the weapon, "Proceed with the test."

"What? But you said!"

"I said _maybe_ I will reconsider," Akuma coldly replied. Temari glared at her and tried to surge forward to attack, but the soldiers held her back.

"We're ready, Akuma-sama," one of the technicians said.

"Commence." The technician nodded and pressed a button.

Sunagakure was no more in almost an instant as a large beam of light struck the village. It disappeared on the monitor.

Temari felt her heart break. Her home was gone. She failed. What would Gaara say to her?

* * *

"Sasuke, huh?" was the first thing Shikamaru said when he first saw Sasuke. He glared at the Uchiha, "What makes you think we'll let you join us?"

Sasuke simply stared back with a blank face.

"Shikamaru," Kakashi said sternly.

Shikamaru looked at Kakashi and sighed. "Troublesome," he muttered.

Right then, a shinobi entered a tent, "Kakashi-san! One of our spies sent a summon to us with this message."

Kakashi took the small scroll. The shinobi hastily bowed and left the tent. Kakashi unfurled the scroll and read it. His eyes widened and he looked at Sasuke and Shikamaru.

"The weapon was just tested. Sunagakure has been destroyed…"

Silence fell in the tent as shock took over. Shikamaru's analytical mind ran the scenario over. His eyes slightly widened when he came to a conclusion, "If Sunagakure is gone, then…"

"Temari must still be alive. They must have threatened her and who knows how long before she gives in," Kakashi finished for Shikamaru.

Sasuke scoffed and crossed his arms, "And what if she already gave in? From what you told me, the Empire are very brutal when it comes to getting information."

"Temari is too stubborn for that, Sasuke. Besides, we have a number of empty bases. For all we know, she most likely gave false information to give us some time."

"But still, we have to rescue her. It is only a matter of time before she does give in," Shikamaru said.

"You would risk that much to rescue this one person?" Sasuke questioned incredulously.

Kakashi and Shikamaru both gave Sasuke a sharp glare. "Sasuke, don't you even remember what I tried to teach you?"

Sasuke frowned. He did remember after all those years.

"Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum."

Sasuke looked away as Kakashi turned to Shikamaru, "Assemble a team." Shikamaru nodded and Kakashi turned to Sasuke, "If you're truly joining us, then you will help us on this mission."

* * *

"There was a base east of Takigakure, but it was empty. The girl lied to us," Fu reported.

Akuma was not surprised, "As I expected."

"Akuma-sama?" Fu questioned. He could tell that his superior was planning something.

"In time, you will realize on your own, general."

* * *

The team that Shikamaru assembled consisted of Hinata, Ino, Kiba, and Shino. When the team except Hinata saw Sasuke for the first time in years, they didn't know how to respond, being reminded of the failed Team 7. They were especially reminded of Naruto and Sakura, who both had gone away with dreams unfulfilled. They realized the irony that Sasuke did return, but only after the two other members of Team 7 were gone.

Sasuke felt uncomfortable being stared at by the team although he did not show it. On the other hand, Kakashi proceeded to speak as if it was business as usual.

"You're all here to rescue Temari from the Empire. Since we do not know how long it will take for Temari to break, we must leave immediately."

Everyone nodded and proceeded towards the tunnel that led to the outside. Sasuke followed them. He contemplated as they exited the base. He noticed how sober his former classmates were compared to the old days. This war obviously had a huge effect on them, but how huge?

It turned out the journey to the facility took about two days. The journey went on without any words spoken. When they stopped to rest, the team except Kakashi avoided Sasuke the best they could while Sasuke slept away from them. The night before arrival, Sasuke could not sleep. He felt unsettled by the cold atmosphere, but he couldn't blame the team for it. However, it led him to think of Naruto and Sakura. He never denied that he formed bonds with them. During his years as missing-nin, he hardly allowed himself to think of them since he needed to focus on his goal. But now, with his goal fulfilled (which ended up being futile), he allowed himself to contemplate on their absence. He realized how much colder the world was without them as just it was without his brother. He allowed his heart to soften slightly as he made a resolution.

 _Itachi, Naruto, Sakura…. I will do this… it's the least I can do…._

Sasuke closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take over.

The next morning, the team got ready and left without a word. The facility was not very far as they had arrived only a few hours later. They hid in the forest surrounding the facility to scope out the perimeters.

"Shino, send out your bugs to infiltrate the facility. We need to know where Temari is," Kakashi ordered

Shino nodded and sent out his bugs. It would take a while before they would get the information. While they waited, the team observed the facility. It was essentially a huge dome with a huge rod sticking out on the top. There were troops entering or leaving the building. After about half an hour, Shino got information from his bugs.

"The prison is underground and there's a cargo port in the back. Other than that, I couldn't find an opening that we could sneak through," Shino explained.

"We won't be able to get in anyways. The facility is too heavily guarded," Shikamaru said. He looked at Ino. An idea popped into his mind. There was a pathway leading to the facility that soldiers would regularly use a mile away. He turned to Kakashi, "We need two soldiers."

Kakashi nodded, having come up with the same idea. "Sasuke, Kiba, come with me."

They went to the pathway where they hid in the trees with their chakra concealed. They watched as troops passed by. It was too risky to ambush the troops as they only needed two soldiers. Fortunately, it wasn't long before two soldiers came by and no other soldiers seemed to be in sight. They caught the soldiers off-guard and knocked them out easily. They carried the soldiers back to the team. They unmasked the soldiers and Kakashi checked their eyes. Sasuke was shocked and angered to find that one of them had the Sharingan. He glared at his old teacher, wanting him to explain how anyone else could have it.

Kakashi explained calmly, "The Empire wanted more soldiers and taking children away from families wasn't enough for them, so they cloned a donor and implanted the Sharingan in them. The army is a mix of those stolen children and clones."

Shikamaru nodded approvingly at the soldiers and ordered, "Ino, use your Mind Body Switch Technique on one of them. Sasuke, take the uniform from the clone and put it on. You're both infiltrating the facility."

Both nodded and did as they were ordered to do. Sasuke took the uniform and went a few feet away from the team to put it on. Meanwhile, the team woke the non-clone up so Ino could use her technique. This did not take long as the soldier did not expect to be taken over.

When they got ready, Kakashi said, "Good. Ino, you have all the codes necessary to get past security. Kiba, Hinata, Shikamaru, stay here and guard Ino's body. After you both get Temari, meet me at the cargo port. I'll make a distraction to divert attention in 30 minutes."

Shikamaru spoke up, "Kakashi, are you sure about that? The security is very high in the facility."

"Don't worry about it. Just stick to the plan. Sasuke, Ino, go now."

Sasuke and Ino (in the soldier's body) went back onto the pathway and ran towards the facility. At the entrance, there was an identification center, where an officer was overseeing it.

"2187 and 2199," the officer said as he read the identification codes on their masks. "2187, put your arm out. 2199, go to the retinal scanner and show your Sharingan."

Sasuke and Ino were able to get past security rather easily as Ino was in the soldier's body and had the identification in her arm and Sasuke had the Sharingan and did not need to take off his mask at the retinal scanner. The interior of the building was bustling with troops of soldiers marching and officers walking around. When they came inside, Ino whispered to Sasuke, "There's an elevator that leads to the prison." Sasuke nodded slightly and they went to the elevator. As they waited in the elevator, Sasuke could tell that Ino was getting nervous. They got in easily. Too easily…

It didn't matter in the end, he thought. As long as they got Temari out, everything should be fine. They arrived in the underground floor, where there was another officer overseeing the prison with soldiers guarding the entrance to the prison.

"State your business," the officer said.

"We are here under General Fu's orders to transport the rebel prisoner," Ino lied smoothly.

The officer nodded, "She's in Cell 15." The officer allowed them access to the prison cells, where they found Temari's cell in no time. When they entered, Ino gave a small gasp at the sight of Temari's conditions. Temari was lying down on a small cot. There were bruises and scorch marks on her arms. She was sporting a black eye as well.

Temari got up when they entered and tensed immediately, "So you've come back for more?"

"Temari, it's us," Ino said.

"What?"

Sasuke unmasked himself and Temari widened her eyes in shock.

"S-sasuke?"

"Hn."

"There's no time to explain. Kakashi's waiting for us. You have to pretend that we're transporting you," Ino said.

Temari nodded without any questions and they left the cell, putting up the façade of soldiers transporting a prisoner. As they left the underground prison, they did everything they could not to walk too quickly lest they garner suspicion. The cargo port was on the third floor and shouldn't be hard to find as Ino had explained. Indeed, it was not hard to find as the port was a huge opening to the outside. As they neared the port, a large boom was heard on the other side of the facility and the building shook.

* * *

Meanwhile…

Kakashi hid among the cargo as he concealed his chakra. He watched as blimps came in and dropped off supplies. Earlier, he had planted paper bombs on the other side of the building. All he needed to do was wait until the time limit was up. Two soldiers passed by and Kakashi hid deeper into the cargo. He hoped that Ino and Sasuke got Temari by now. Time was running right.

He looked at his watch. Time's up. He made a hand sign.

A large boom was heard.

* * *

In the conference room, Akuma turned his head towards the sound of the boom. A soldier rushed in, "Akuma-sama!"

"Send in some troops to investigate."

"Hai!"

Akuma turned to leave the room. Torune and Fu looked at her in confusion.

"Akuma-sama?"

"Both of you, go to the site. There's something I must deal with."

"Hai."

As Akuma left the room, he let out a chakra pulse, feeling for anything unusual in the facility. He did indeed feel something out of the ordinary. The prisoner was out with two others and they were ending somewhere. Akuma swiftly walked towards their destination.

* * *

Kakashi watched with satisfaction as the soldiers guarding the port left in the direction of the bombed site. He let out a small chakra pulse for Sasuke and Ino, knowing the soldiers would not notice in the panic. He was relieved to find that they were ending in his direction.

He felt a malevolent chakra among the myriad of chakras in the facility. He knew who it was: Akuma. Curiosity got the best of Kakashi as he wanted to know who the Emperor's right hand was, if he was someone he knew at one point. So Kakashi reached out with his chakra despite risking his position.

* * *

Meanwhile, Akuma felt a chakra reaching out to him. He recognized it. It was one of the rebel's chakra. He knew that the rebel was trying to identify his chakra. Specifically, he knew who it belonged to. Amused, Akuma let him.

* * *

Kakashi's eyes were closed as he tried to make out Akuma's chakra. Slowly, realization came and Kakashi quickly opened his eyes, which were widened.

"No…" He became overcome with shock and despair. He felt like he was going to faint...

"Kakashi!"

Kakashi shook off his shock and turned to see Ino, Temari, and Sasuke running towards him. He reminded himself that now was not the time for these emotions as he ran to meet up with them.

"Good work. Ino, you can get out of the body."

Ino nodded and took off her hold off of the soldier's body. The soldier slumped forward and shook himself awake, "Hey! Wha…"

The soldier did not complete his sentence as he fell forward with a kunai in this back. Temari, Kakashi, Sasuke looked up to see Akuma standing many feet away with her sword out. Sasuke, as he never seen or heard of Akuma before, took a step back from the unrecognizable and malicious chakra. Kakashi turned to Temari and Sasuke, "Run! I'll hold him off!"

Temari and Sasuke took off as Kakashi threw shurikens at Akuma, who easily deflected them easily with her sword. Akuma calmly walked towards Kakashi, who kept on throwing weapons as he walked backwards. Akuma noted with amusement that Kakashi looked very panicked as he tried to hold her off. Akuma rose her sword, but before she could strike, she felt her movement freeze. He looked down to see his shadow connected to something. Kakashi turned to see Shikamaru holding Akuma with his shadow.

"Go!" Shikamaru shouted. Kakashi ran off. After he ran a safe distance away from Akuma, Shikamaru let go of his hold of Akuma and ran off as well.

Akuma calmly watched as they ran off. "Akuma-sama!"

He turned to see Fu running towards her. "There was no one at the site. We concluded that paper bombs were the cause. The prisoner got away though."

"Let her go."

"Akuma-sama?"

"If she will not tell us where the rebels, then maybe she will show us."

* * *

Sasuke and Temari joined the rest of the team, who were waiting in the same spot in the forest. Kiba put Temari on Akamaru as she was still somewhat weak from her ordeal. He also put Ino on his dog since she was exhausted from using her technique. They were soon joined by Kakashi and Shikamaru and the team left as soon as they could.

When they felt that they were a safe distance away from the facility, they decided to camp for the night. After recovering from exhaustion, Ino went to heal Temari from her injuries. As they settled for the night, Sasuke noticed that Kakashi looked stricken. He sat beside his former teacher and asked, "Who was that earlier? At the port?"

Kakashi looked at him with saddened eyes, "That was Akuma, Danzo's right hand. He operates the Empire under Danzo's orders. He killed so many of our comrades. Including…"

Kakashi looked at Ino and Shikamaru, "…Ino's and Shikamaru's fathers…"

Sasuke nodded while Kakashi explained further, "Nobody knows who he is. Whether he's even a male or female. Many of us have tried to find out his identity, but there was nothing…"

After Kakashi finished, a silence fell over the pair. It was then that Sasuke noticed that Kakashi now had an unreadable expression, but Sasuke did not dare to ask what was bothering Kakashi. They spent the rest of the time watching over the team.

* * *

"The tracer in the rebel is operating, Akuma-sama."

"Good. Inform me if anything significant has happened."

"Hai."

* * *

 **I just want to remind you guys that no one knows who Akuma is and whether he's a girl or boy at this point in the story. That's why I've been going back and forth with the he and she regarding Akuma.**


	7. Chapter 6

**Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Stars Wars at all.**

 **So sorry this took a while. It took me a long time to figure out how to write this chapter. But hope you enjoy! By the way, I updated the last chapter if you haven't noticed.**

* * *

Chapter 6

"The rebel has stopped moving, Akuma-sama."

"Inform me if she moves once more in the next 12 hours."

The soldier nodded and got back to work as Akuma stared out of the window in the operation room. Everything was going as planned…

"Akuma-sama!"

Akuma turned to see Torune running towards her.

"A transmission came in from the Emperor. He wishes to speak to you."

"Very well. Monitor the rebel."

Torune bowed his head as Akuma left quickly towards his private quarters. When she arrived, she quickly went to the large monitor screen on one side of the room. He knelt down on one knee and bowed his head in front of the screen as it lit up. Danzo appeared on the screen, staring down at his right hand.

"Danzo-sama," Akuma greeted reverently.

"Akuma, my old friend…" Danzo said, his voice strained. Akuma could tell that his lord was not happy.

"What is your command, Danzo-sama?"

Danzo ignored the question, "I was informed that the rebel you captured had escaped…"

"Hai, that is true." So that was why the Emperor was upset. One of the higher-ranking officers must have told Danzo, hoping to put Akuma in a bad position. This did not surprise Akuma as there was always someone trying take his position as the Emperor's right hand.

"Explain," Danzo said. The Emperor was not stupid though. He always knew there was more to the story. It helped that Akuma had never failed him so far…

"I let her escape. I expected that a team will be sent for her, so I had a soldier inject a tracer into her. She will lead us to their base."

Danzo stared at Akuma for a few moments. He smiled, "Good, good, you did just as I expected of you, my apprentice."

Akuma bowed her head once more. It was then that Danzo noticed that she was stiff in her body language. "There is more," he deduced.

"Among the team who retrieved the rebel was Kakashi Hatake."

Silence filled the room.

"Are you sure?" Danzo asked.

"It was him. I felt it."

"Then you must find and capture him. His Sharingan is invaluable and he has information on the rebels."

"Such as the whereabouts of Naruto Uzumaki," Akuma said as he clenched his fists at his sides and became filled with anger. If Danzo noticed the gesture, he chose to ignore it.

"Perhaps. If he lives. But for now, hunt down the rebels and capture Hatake," Danzo said.

"Yes, my lord," Akuma said as she bowed her head. The screen then went black. Akuma promptly stood up and left the room. He headed towards the operation room to check on the rebels.

* * *

Sasuke stood guard and looked towards the forest as the others got ready to leave. He could not sleep the previous night and so kept watch. Kakashi could not sleep either as he seemed very bothered by something and kept Sasuke company the entire night.

"Sasuke." He turned to see Kakashi with others, ready to leave. He noticed the bags under Kakashi's eye and internally frowned. He noticed how troubled Kakashi had been since the rescue and wondered what had happened that kept his former sensei awake all night. Kakashi noticed his frown and shook his head at him, silently telling Sasuke not to pry. Sasuke slowly nodded back and went to prepare to leave.

The group left the campground as soon as they could. The travel back was uneventful and the team arrived at the base in just a few hours.

After they entered the cave, Hinata and Ino immediately escorted Temari to the medical area while Kakashi quickly walked back to his tent, his shoulders slumped. Sasuke stared as Kakashi disappeared under the folds of the tent. He turned to see that Shikamaru was also looking at Kakashi with a frown. When the Nara noticed Sasuke, he simply gave a shrug and turned to walk towards the medical area to check on Temari. After watching Shikamaru disappear among the tents, Sasuke walked off to find a place to rest. As he did so, he faintly hoped that whatever was bothering Kakashi would not interfere with future missions….

* * *

"Akuma-sama, the rebels have stopped and have not moved for the past few hours," an officer to Akuma.

Akuma looked at the screen and recognized the rebel's location. It would take two to three days to get there. "Prepare a unit of soldiers and have them deploy immediately. Yamanaka will lead them."

"Hai." The officer immediately turned to leave and do what he was ordered.

Akuma continued to stare at the screen. Everything was going as planned. After she would capture Kakashi, she would extract his Sharingan and torture him for the location of the Uzumaki. And once she captured the Kyuubi host, the weapon, the Empire's reign, everything would be complete.

Especially her revenge.

* * *

 _One day later…_

"What is _he_ doing here, Hatake?! I know he was your student, but don't you think it's a bit much to let him in after disappearing for years?!" Karui had shouted as she pointed at Sasuke. They were at a meeting between the leaders of the rebels to discuss the plans of the weapon. Sasuke did not react as he stood behind Kakashi. Shikamaru was standing next to him as the leaders circled around a table. He could not help but agree with the girl. It was strange to let someone come to an important meeting after coming back from years of hiding. He supposed it was because Kakashi trusted him not to turn his back on them, especially since Danzo had done so much wrong to him.

"Sasuke has his reasons for coming back. Reasons I will explain later. But now, there are more pressing matters," Kakashi quietly said.

Karui opened her mouth to counter but stopped when Darui, the representative of Kumogakure, shook his head. The leaders of the rebels were made up of representatives from each Great Shinobi Country. Sasuke had learned from Shikamaru that all but one of the previous Kages were killed during the war. They never got a chance to find replacements because Danzo had already taken power. The one Kage who survived was Gaara, but he was in a coma from a battle. Apparently, they found Gaara unconscious on a battlefield and everything was completely devastated. To this day, the rebels did not know who Gaara was fighting that day but they had an inkling.

"Kakashi's right. We finally got the plans and we have to act immediately. Suna has been destroyed already. Who knows which village is next?" Chojuro, the representative of Kiri, said.

"Shikamaru, report on your findings," Kakashi order.

Shikamaru stepped up to the table and laid down the scroll containing the plans. "The weapon has core underground. That's where it gets its power from. If we destroy that core, we destroy the weapon."

"That's easier said than done. Such a vital part would be heavily guarded," Kurotsuchi, the girl representing Iwa.

Shikamaru nodded in agreement, "The core is much more vital than we would assume. There's more to it." His voice became grave as he looked at the leaders, "The power in the core is being channeled from seven of the Tailed Beasts."

Silence filled the tent. After the information finally settled into their minds, there were shouts of shock and anger.

"Seven?! How did the Empire even get them in the first place?! That last we heard, they were in the possession of Obito Uchiha!" Kankuro shouted.

Obito Uchiha? Sasuke had never heard of him before. He saw that Kakashi was looking over his back at him. Kakashi signaled that he would explain later and Sasuke nodded in response.

"Hatake-san!"

A shinobi ran into the tent. He was panting when he stopped in front of Kakashi. He handed the leader a tiny scroll, "This just came in from our scouts."

Kakashi unfurled the scroll. His visible eye widened, "There are soldiers of the Empire coming in our direction. They must have found our location. They will arrive in a day or two."

The leaders tried not to look panicked at the news, but Temari suddenly looked stricken. "They must have put a tracker in me during the torture. I can't believe I didn't think of that. Oh Kami, I led them to us."

"Don't blame yourself, Temari. You were already in a stressful situation. You did all you could," Kankuro reassured his sister.

"What should we do? We don't have much time," Darui questioned.

"There's not enough time to evacuate, so we'll split into two groups. One group will stay here to fend the soldiers off. The other will go to the weapon facility to destroy it. Since I have been there already, I will lead the group going to the weapon. The rest of you are to stay here and lead the defense," Kakashi said decisively.

The leaders nodded in agreement. The meeting ended and they quickly left to prepare for battle. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Shikamaru were the only ones remaining in the tent. Kakashi turned to them, "You two will come with me to the facility. Now go rest and prepare for tomorrow." The two nodded and left the tent.

As Sasuke walked towards his tent, he saw that the rebels were scrambling around to get everything ready if they ever had the chance to leave. The medics were running around to get their medical equipment ready for the upcoming battle. Sasuke hoped that things would work in their favor. Otherwise, everything would crumble.


	8. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took a long time. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Star Wars at all.**

* * *

Chapter 7

After the leaders made sure that the defense was ready, Kakashi and his group left to go back to the weapon facility. The group had to take a new route in order to avoid the incoming troops. The new route was longer and the team ended up having to travel without any breaks.

Other than that, the journey was rather uneventful. The plan was that once the team reached a certain point from the weapon, Kakashi and a few others would separate to infiltrate the place in order to destroy the weapon. Sasuke and Shikamaru were both in the infiltration team as they were more familiar with the facility. Meanwhile, the assault would be led by Kankuro.

When they arrived several miles away from the facility, the team finally stopped to rest and get ready. Kakashi and his group would leave from there. Kankuro saw them off and said, "Good luck."

The infiltration group were off and headed towards the facility.

* * *

A few hours later…

It was early afternoon when Darui, Chojuro, and Kurotsuchi stood side-by-side in an open plain, facing a forest. Behind them were the army of shinobi that acted as the defense. Their base was only few miles away. In there, the sick and injured were being evacuated. The defense had to protect them at all costs.

The army felt a trembling beneath their feet. Some shinobi began shaking in fear while others readied their weapons. Empire shinobi, led by Fu, emerged from the forest and headed towards them. A battle cry sounded and the rebels charged at the Empire soldiers.

The battle had begun.

* * *

Meanwhile…

When Kakashi and his group arrived, they found that the facility was heavily guarded. They should have known that the Empire would take precautions after what had transpired before.

"We can't take risks. The soldiers will easily defeat us if we just rush in," Shikamaru said. Kakashi nodded in agreement as he watched the facility. Currently, the group were hiding in the trees outside. Considering that the Empire would take precautions, it would make sense that it would be more careful with their soldiers so disguising as one was out of the picture.

"Since we can't infiltrate the facility with so many soldiers around, we are going to have to wait for Kankuro and the others to attack. Maybe then we can take advantage of the chaos and get in," Kakashi said. The rest of the team nodded. And so, they waited for Kankuro's group to arrive.

* * *

It didn't take long for Kankuro and his army to arrive. When they stopped several feet away from the entrance, they strangely saw that the soldiers would not attack immediately.

"Strange…", Kankuro muttered as he saw the soldiers lined up in around the facility. Suddenly, as if falling from the sky, something landed in front of the soldiers. The impact it made resonated in the ground. Both Empire soldiers and the rebels felt tremors beneath their feet. The dust slowly cleared, revealing Akuma. Fear spike among the rebels upon seeing him. When Akuma took one step towards them, they stepped back.

"Stand your ground!" Kankuro shouted, angry that the rebels let fear take hold of them. They stopped as he ordered. "Remember why we are here! Remember we have to protect all we stand for!" Kankuro shouted to rally his troops. This somewhat raised the rebels' spirits.

It was then that Akuma began walking towards them. "Get ready!" Kankuro shouted. As she headed towards them, Akuma started running. The rebels readied themselves. Several of them were sweating while others trembled. Despite their fear, they let out a battle cry as Akuma neared them. They surged forward when he finally reached them.

Akuma had her sword out and slashed down several rebels as he ran through the mass of shinobi. When she arrived in the center, Akuma swiftly impaled an incoming rebel. Seeing another five charging towards him, he swung his sword and flung the body towards them. Before they could even register the body hitting them, they were slashed down.

A kunai was thrown at Akuma, who promptly stepped aside and grabbed it. Akuma turned and threw it at a rebel's throat. Other projectiles were simply stopped by Akuma's sword. Akuma then threw her sword. The sword spun through the air as several shinobi were slashed down. Meanwhile, Akuma resorted to taijutsu and already brought down several shinobi. As she was jumping back and causing two rebels to crash into each other, the sword was coming back towards her like a boomerang. When she was crushing a rebel's throat, it finally came back to her. He grabbed it and continued to use it to slash more down. Some of the rebels froze in fear as they saw the sheer power and skill Akuma displayed. Others simply charged towards him, hoping to get one hit.

Seeing that the rebels' attention were on Akuma, the Empire soldiers took this chance to finally strike.

* * *

When they saw the soldier finally charge towards Kankuro's army, Kakashi's team finally took action. They headed towards the cargo port, where they found a squad of soldiers guarding the opening. The soldiers were promptly cut down as they swiftly entered the facility. More soldiers were inside and Kakashi responded by throwing a kunai attached to a paper bomb. The resulting explosion caused chaos, which the rebels took advantage of. While the majority of the group fought the soldiers, the others ran off to the underground core led by Kakashi as part of the plan. Sasuke and Shikamaru were also part of the smaller group.

The group ran down towards the underground. They were relentless as they cut down any soldiers that attempted to stop them. It was not until they reached the floor above the underground that they found a large amount of soldiers waiting for them. The rebels immediately engaged them. However, the soldiers were not to be easily defeated as before. Sasuke and Shikamaru were busy fighting when Kakashi shouted at them as he was fighting as well, "Sasuke, Shikamaru, you two go! We'll keep them off! You know what to do!"

Sasuke and Shikamaru swiftly cut their opponents down and ran off towards the underground

* * *

As Akuma was still effortlessly cutting down the rebels, he let a chakra pulse to check on the facility. She noticed that there were rebels inside the facility. Even more alarming were two chakras heading towards the underground core.

Akuma quickly flickered away from the battlefield, leaving behind confused rebels.

* * *

When Sasuke and Shikamaru finally arrived at the underground level, they found the hallway leading to the core. They also found more soldiers guarding the hallway. Shikamaru quickly used his shadow technique and Sasuke cut them down. After dealing with soldiers, the two entered the room. Shikamaru turned to Sasuke, "Guard this place and make sure no one comes in. I'll put everything in place." Sasuke nodded and Shikamaru ran off.

According to the plans of the weapon, there were seven tubes that channeled the chakra of the tailed beasts into a center. The rebels decided to place the strongest paper bombs they had onto those tubes and the center itself in order to destroy the weapon. Once Sasuke made sure that no one else was in the room, he observed the center that was in front of him. It was a large dome that had raw and powerful chakra swirling inside. There was another room beneath the dome where the tubes were. That was also where Shikamaru was, putting the bombs in place.

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a dark presence behind him. Reacting quickly, he grabbed his Kusanagi and stopped a sword from impaling him. It was then that he saw that he was face-to-face with Akuma. The emperor's right hand towered over him, causing her to lean over Sasuke.

Sasuke got a good look at the mask covering her face. He felt as if he was staring at a demon in the face. Seeing this along with feeling the dark chakra close to him made Sasuke want to shiver. However, he kept his cool as he tried to slash at Akuma, who parried the blow. The two exchanged blows before Akuma finally disarmed Sasuke and kicked him hard into the dome.

Sasuke felt himself hitting the hard glass. Disoriented, Sasuke could barely see Akuma walking towards him. Akuma stopped in front of him and looked down at Sasuke. Strangely, she did not seem intent on killing Sasuke.

"You are…" Akuma did not get the chance to finish his sentence when someone attacked from behind. She turned and saw that it was Kakashi Hatake attacking her. She parried the kunai that he held in his hand. However, the force of the attack moved her away from Sasuke.

Sasuke had finally gotten his bearings and saw that Kakashi had arrived. He dared not to move since his sword was several feet away from him. Akuma simply stared at Kakashi who glared back in anger and defiance.

"Kakashi Hatake, our meeting has come at last," Akuma said.

"Glad I gave you something to look forward to," Kakashi retorted.

"We do not need to be enemies. If you tell me the whereabouts of Naruto Uzumaki, the emperor will give you mercy."

"Even if I knew, I will never tell you. Especially since you were the one who drove him away."

Akuma pointed her sword at Sasuke, "Then perhaps _he_ will."

"Stay away from him! How dare you say that! No comrade of mine would never do any of this!"

"Your student was weak. I destroyed her."

 _Her? Is Akuma referring to Sakura?_ Sasuke thought as he watched the two's exchange. His eyes widened slightly when he finally realized what Akuma meant. _Akuma…killed…her?_

Sasuke watched as Kakashi closed his eyes in pain _. And Kakashi knew who Akuma is? I thought he said he didn't know._

Kakashi opened his eyes, filled with determination. "Then I will avenge her and everyone else."

"You are against revenge," Akuma said with amusement.

"People change." Kakashi held up kunai in both hands as he readied himself. Akuma held up his sword in response.

The tension was high in the room. The two stood, unsure who would deal the first blow. In midst of this, Kakashi said, "Sasuke, go help Shikamaru. I'll hold Akuma off."

Sasuke opened his mouth to protest. "Sasuke! Just do what I say!"

Sasuke looked at Kakashi. If it were up to him, he would have joined the battle. But he saw the anger and resolve in his former teacher's eyes. He then knew Kakashi would not take no for an answer. Sasuke nodded and got up. As he was leaving the room, he looked behind him. He saw that the two finally began their battle. Kakashi tried to strike with his kunai while Akuma blocked them with her sword.

When Sasuke entered the room containing the tubes, he saw that Shikamaru had only put three bombs so far. The seven massive tubes went around the circular room, going up into the ceiling where the central dome would be. Shikamaru noticed who entered the room, "What happened?"

"Akuma came. Kakashi's holding him off." Shikamaru nodded and handed him some bombs. After the two finished placing the bombs, they went back into the room with the central dome. They found that both Kakashi and Akuma were gone. They must have taken their battle elsewhere. Shikamaru placed the last bomb on the dome. He turned to Sasuke, "Let's go."

They ran back up the facility and met up with the other rebels. The group ran to quickly get out of facility. When they reached the cargo port, Shikamaru was grabbed by the throat. His shout alerted the others. The team turned to see that it was Akuma who grabbed him. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen.

"Let him go!" A rebel yelled. Akuma ignored him as he readied his sword to impale Shikamaru. When she was about to, she felt an incoming presence behind her. Akuma turned to see Kakashi coming towards him. Akuma did not have time to react when Kakashi jumped and rammed into her, slashing at her mask. The attack caused Akuma to drop Shikamaru. Once Shikamaru hit the floor, a rebel grabbed him. The team turned once more to flee.

When Sasuke reached the edge, he turned to see that Kakashi had not come with them. Instead, he was standing frozen. In front of him was Akuma, who was getting up from the attack. Sasuke ran back to help Kakashi, who heard him coming. The Copy-Eye ninja threw a kunai attached to a paper bomb, which landed several feet away from Sasuke. The bomb exploded, throwing Sasuke away from him and Akuma. Kakashi raised his kunai in time to block Akuma's sword. He dropped his other kunai and made a hand sign, activating the bombs in the underground.

* * *

Torune was in the command center when the floor shook below him. He realized that the rebels had succeeded in destroying the core. The facility was shaking and about to collapse, causing panic in the room. He knew that the battle was lost.

"Everyone, evacuate the facility! Call off the soldiers! We have to retreat!"

* * *

Fu Yamanaka was battling a rebel when he received a transmission. The rebels were holding up well against the Empire soldiers. At first, the Empire soldiers had the upper hand, but the rebel leaders turned the tide of the battle. Now, the rebels were steadily pushing the soldiers back.

Fu raised his hand to his ear to activate the speaker. "Yes?"

"Fu, the facility has been destroyed," Torune said.

"What? How…"

"There's no time. I'm evacuating everyone and making a retreat. How are things on your side?"

"We're not making any progress. The rebels are pushing us back."

"Then make a retreat as well. We'll strike back later."

"Understood." Fu deactivated his speaker, "Retreat! We have to retreat!"

The soldiers immediately disengaged and ran back into the forests. The rebels could not believe what had transpired so quickly. Eventually, they began to cheer for their victory. Their base was safe.

* * *

Sasuke watched as Kakashi continued to clash with Akuma. The ground was shaking. The facility was collapsing. He tried to run towards the two, but a large debris landed in front of him. The floor below him began to crack when Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Shikamaru.

"Come on! The building's about to fall!" Sasuke turned and saw that there was no opening to Kakashi. Shikamaru pulled him and Sasuke reluctantly ran with him. By the time the two had made it into the woods, the facility burst into flames and collapsed.

* * *

The rebels cheered upon seeing the weapon destroyed. The Empire soldiers were retreating. There were some that were searching through debris in case there were survivors.

Away from the rebels and the soldiers searching, a pile of debris started moving. Slowly, the debris fell away piece by piece. Akuma emerged from the rubble. He had managed to stop the impact of the debris from killing him at the last minute with chakra. Even then, Akuma was injured from the collapse. She touched her face and found that the mask was gone. It must have cracked from the impact.

"Akuma-sama!"

Akuma turned to see a soldier coming towards him. The soldier froze upon seeing her face, shocked by the appearance. "M-my apologies, Akuma-sama. I'll go get…"

The soldier didn't get to finish his sentence when Akuma threw a kunai at his throat. As the soldier's throat gurgled, Akuma took out a summoning scroll containing a spare mask. When she put the mask on, the soldier was dead.

Akuma went to meet with the other soldiers. Torune was the first to see him. "Akuma-sama!"

"What is going on?"

"I ordered a retreat. Fu also ordered a retreat."

Akuma looked at the rebels that were cheering. She clenched her fists in anger. He would have come down to kill them, but his injuries held him back. Next time…

"Very well."

* * *

Sasuke did not join in the celebration. He simply watched the Empire soldiers either leaving or searching through the rubble. He saw Akuma join another soldier. He gave her a glare. Akuma did not notice. He simply stared at the cheering rebels for a while and then left.

By the time he made sure all the soldiers were gone, Sasuke ran to the rubble. He ran back to where he last saw Kakashi and started to dig around. He heard others coming and turned to see that Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba, and Hinata had followed. They followed suit.

It took a long time before Kiba shouted, "I found something." Everyone else ran to where he was. In front of him was Kakashi, who laid mangled. Sasuke could see that there were broken bones. Along with this, Kakashi's head was bleeding. Ino felt for a pulse. She gasped in shock, "He's alive."

* * *

 **Some of the dialogue is inspired by the fight between Ahsoka and Darth Vader in Star Wars Rebels.**

 **So some of you are wondering where Sakura is considering that I listed her in the description. All I can say is that I thought it was obvious at this point and I thought I gave hints about it. I promise you all that she is a very vital part of this story. Right now, I am focused on Sasuke's development as a character and I can also promise you that Sakura will be very important in that development.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Sorry this took such a long time. Hope you enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Star Wars at all**

* * *

Chapter 8

Upon finding Kakashi, Sasuke and the others quickly carried him away. Thanks to Ino, the bleeding on his head stopped, but Ino was not skilled enough to heal any further damage. They made a makeshift stretcher for him and joined the other rebels. When the rest of the rebels finished their celebration, their mood became somber almost immediately when they saw that one of their leaders was gravely injured.

They swiftly departed the rumbles of the facility and made their way back to the base. They returned to find that the others at the base were successful as well. Kakashi and the injured were quickly taken to the medics. Meanwhile, Sasuke and Shikamaru went to inform the other leaders of what had happened.

"It's a miracle he is even alive. The collapse should have killed him instantly," Shikamaru said. Sasuke was standing behind him as he watched the discussion.

"We are relieved that he is still alive, but we have to keep going forward," Kurotsuchi sighed.

"Right…" Shikamaru murmured.

"While he recovers, you will now be the representative of the Konohagakure. It is what Kakashi said in case something like this happens."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head.

"Right… now to the matter at hand, we have to start evacuation. We may have driven off the soldiers, but they still know our location and they will come back with more," Kankuro said.

"You're right. We'll start evacuating the injured and sick. Now we have to decide which base to go."

"There's a base in the Land of Earth that we have not used in a long time. The soldiers do not know about it so we will able to hide and recover for a while," Shikamaru said.

"The others agreed and the meeting was dismissed as they had to give the orders to start evacuation. Sasuke and Shikamaru went to the tent where Kakashi was. They found him on a bed covered with bandages and had an IV attached. Ino was watching over him. She looked up with a sad expression.

"Ino, what's wrong?"

"Kakashi… he's in a coma."

"What?"

"We healed all the other injuries he had, but the blow to his head was so bad…"

"When do you think he'll wake up?"

"I don't know. It could take months… years maybe."

Shikamaru gave a frustrated sigh. Great… one problem is solved while another presents itself, he thought. Meanwhile, Sasuke stared at Kakashi. His old teacher was gone. While he may be alive, he was still absent. First Sakura, then Naruto, and now…

Sasuke clenched his fists. Shikamaru took notice and immediately led him out of the tent. When they were a distance away, they stopped and Shikamaru turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke, I know he was your teacher but…"

"It's all because of Danzo and Akuma."

"…What?"

"Danzo gave the order to Itachi to kill my family. And Akuma…" Sasuke started to mutter. Shikamaru blinked. He noticed something about what Sasuke had said.

"Sasuke!" Shikamaru called to him. Sasuke finally stopped and looked at him. "Sasuke, I understand about Danzo and your family. I understand about Naruto and Kakashi. But what do you mean about Sakura?"

Sasuke clenched his fists in anger, "Back at the facility, Akuma said to Kakashi that he killed her."

Shikamaru staggered back in shock. He said, "You're sure?"

Sasuke nodded. Shikamaru closed his eyes in pain. Another comrade lost to Akuma. Shikamaru remembered Sakura as a good friend who looked out for others. Ino would especially be devastated to hear this. Shikamaru looked at Sasuke and could tell that he was affected. He knew that the Uchiha had a soft spot for Sakura after witnessing them back at the Chunin Exams but he did not believe that he cared enough to stay in Konoha. Looking at him, Shikamaru wondered if he did care more than he thought.

"Sasuke." The Uchiha looked up to see Shikamaru looking at him with resolution. "We _will_ take down the Empire. And we _will_ take down Danzo and Akuma."

Sasuke looked at him, searching for any hesitation. He found none and nodded his assent. He suddenly realized something. "How did you know about the Massacre?"

"Kakashi told me before we left for the facility."

"Ah," was the only response Sasuke gave.

"Well, I have to go oversee the evacuation. You get ready to leave." Sasuke did not give any more responses as Shikamaru left. Around him, there were shinobi running around, trying to get everything ready for the evacuation quickly. Sasuke ignored them and instead walked towards the exit.

When Sasuke was outside, he stopped. The sun was starting to set. As he was watching the sun set, Sasuke started to contemplate.

Everyone he cared for were either dead or gone. And all of them fought to protect those they cared for.

What about himself? He was ignorant of his brother's suffering and rejected Team 7's offers of help. They paid for his actions. He should have been more attentive to Itachi so he could have helped his brother in his time of need. He should not have left his teammates. Maybe he could have prevented all that had happened to them.

The realization of what his inactions and selfishness had caused brought forth a guilt he had not felt since the time he learned about his brother's mission. This guilt tore at him. Sasuke looked at the sun, which was now halfway at the horizon.

He now had a new goal. He would take down Danzo and Akuma with the rebels. He would take down the Empire. He would do what Itachi, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura would have done.

A now determined Sasuke watched the sun disappear below the horizon, ready for tomorrow.

 _End of Part 1_

* * *

 **Sorry this is a bit short, but I just want to set the stage for Part 2. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as possible.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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